


Work of Art

by Avistella



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Second Person, Rating May Change, Reader Is Not MC, Reader-Insert, Reader-Interactive, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Slow To Update, Takes place after Secret 02
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-10
Updated: 2017-05-25
Packaged: 2018-09-16 02:25:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9269534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avistella/pseuds/Avistella
Summary: You happen to see a handsome-looking male and decide to draw him unsuspectingly. Taking interest (in you or your drawing, you don't know), he gives you his number, and your relationship starts from there.Note: This is a reader-interactive story, meaning you, as the reader, will decide which actions to take and affect the overall flow/end of the story. At the end of each chapter, you will have the option to choose (comment) which action the reader will take. The choice that has the most "votes" by the time I start writing the next chapter will be the action the reader decides to take.





	1. Chapter 1

He was absolutely _gorgeous_. You couldn't help but stare at the male who sat at the table across from you in the small cafe, head slightly bent as he poured over a few sheets of paper. A coffee cup sat beside them, and he would take a few sips every now and then before going back to look at the papers, perfect lips opening and closing but too far for you to hear the words.

It was the first time you've seen someone so handsome. The way his face and body was shaped was so perfect. His pale complexion was free of any blemishes, and his eyes were a beautiful and warm red which contrasted his snowy white hair. You couldn't resist. Your hands shuffled through your bag, and you took out your sketchbook, as well as a pencil and eraser. After opening up your sketchbook to a new page, you started drawing the male across from you.

Your pencil strokes were confident as they travelled across the paper, your eyes analyzing every small detail of the beautiful young man. Every sharp edge and soft corner. You wanted to capture his beauty and grace. You weren't sure if you would ever be able to do it justice, but you still wanted to try.

A few minutes passed by, and you were more or less complete with your sketch. You were just drawing out the last details of the hair, your eyes focused on the page in front of you. When you looked up again, you were met face-to-face with the torso of—

You jumped in your chair and quickly clasped a hand over your mouth to muffle the small scream of surprise as you glanced up towards the young man who stood in front of you. He flashed you a dazzling smile, and you could have sworn you would have melted right then and there. "Hello," he greets you with a voice just as charming as his physical features. "I couldn't help but notice you staring at me..."

Your face flushed several shades of red at having been caught, but he didn't seem angry or uncomfortable. If anything, he sounded quite flattered instead. His eyes then flickered over to your sketchbook that was still open to the drawing of him, and you practically slammed your hands over it in a failed attempt to hide what you were working on, but it was already too late. He's already seen it, and you feel a certain sense of guilt grow in your chest.

"I-I'm sorry!" you stuttered out an apology as you kept your gaze downcast, unable to look him in the eyes. "I—I didn't mean to—"

You heard him chuckle, and the butterflies in your stomach danced to the sound. "You're very talented," the young man compliments you, and you feel yourself blush even more at his sincerity. You then hear some shuffling movements before a calling card is smoothly slid in front of you on the table. Curiously, you glance up, and the male flashes you a wink. "I'd love to see more of your drawings. Call me."

With that, the young man spun on his heel, his white hair trailing behind him as he left the cafe, sparing you one last glance and small wave of his hand. Even after the young man left, you continued to sit there, completely dumbfounded. You directed your gaze back to the calling card on the table and carefully picked it up.

_"ZEN  
+82)10-9211-%#XZ "_

_Zen_ , huh? It was an intriguing name, and you stared at the picture of the young man before giving the card a few twirls between your fingers as you internally debate on when you should call him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When you do call Zen?  
>  ~~• Immediately after~~  
>  • At night  
>  ~~• The next day~~
> 
> * * *
> 
> * * *
> 
> So I decided to write a (mostly) fluffy and light-hearted slice-of-life Zen fic, and I decided to try making it reader-interactive like my other fic, [Dream Come True](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8638201/chapters/19809511). Hopefully this turns out well? :'D Chapter lengths will vary, depending on when to put reader decisions.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Votes from previous chapter:  
> 

By the time you get back home, it's already late in the evening. You set your bag down, tired from a long day, and go about your usual routine. Eventually, evening turns to night, but despite your exhaustion, you decide against falling asleep just yet. You retrieve your bag from where you had last set it down and take out your sketchbook. You open it up to the page with the sketch of Zen, and you eye the calling card that was placed between the pages.

You pick up the card again, trailing the edges of it with your finger before taking out your phone. Perhaps it was still "too early" for you to be calling and that you might come off as desperate, but you couldn't deny the ever growing desire to talk with the young man again. You didn't like to believe in "love at first sight" but you did feel a certain sense of attraction. Yes, Zen's looks definitely played a part, but there was something more about him. Some kind of hidden depth that you wanted to explore, as cringeworthy as that might sound.

Bringing your attention back to the cell phone and calling card in your hands, you punched in Zen's number into the device. However, before your finger pressed the "Call" button, you paused. Biting your lower lip, you changed your mind and opted to send a text first, just to be sure that he was awake in the first place. After all, Zen could have already been sleeping by now, and you didn't want to wake him, so your fingers glided over the keys.

_"Hiya!"_

No way. That seemed way too friendly when the two of you barely exchanged words. You pressed the backspace button and tried again.

_"Hello."_

Now that one seemed way too formal. You didn't want to come off as someone too formal-sounding for someone you just met and were interested in befriending. Growling to yourself from frustration on how surprisingly hard it was to send a text, you gave it another go.

_"Hi."_

You stared at the one word, your eyes scrutinizing before giving a satisfied nod. It seemed both friendly and formal enough, and you hoped it would be okay before typing out the rest of your text.

_"It's the one who was drawing you this afternoon. You said to call, but since it's late, I decided to text you instead first just in case you were sleeping."_

That was when you realized that you never actually did give Zen your name, so you quickly tacked that piece of information about you at the end before sending. After seeing the text sent successfully, it was now time to wait. You weren't sure how long it was going to take, you decided to put your phone down for now and do something else to distract you. Not long after you set your phone on the table however did it vibrate rhythmically, informing you that someone was calling. Unsurprisingly, it was Zen, so you hastily picked it up.

"Hello?" you greeted him, uncertain as to whether or not this was actually real.

"Hey," the same voice as from this afternoon greeted you, and for some reason, you breathed out a quiet sigh of relief. "I was waiting for your call."

Your eyes widened in surprise by that comment. "Oh? Really?"

Zen gave a breathy laugh. "Yeah," he answered unabashed. "I was wondering when you were going to call. Oh yeah, I'm sorry for not asking for your name earlier."

You shook your head before realizing that Zen wasn't able to see the action, so you spoke, "It's okay. I'm sorry for not asking for your name either."

"Ah, right," Zen made a sound as though remembering something. "I never did introduce myself either, did I? Sorry, I guess I was just really nervous that it just completely slipped my mind."

"You don't seem like the one to get nervous," you find yourself commenting.

"It was pretty nerve-wrecking walking up to a cutie such as yourself."

Smooth. Or perhaps just flirtatious. The tone sounded teasing, almost as though all of it was intentional. Either way, you can't help but laugh at that, and you could hear Zen's laugh following in soon after you and joining you. Once the laughter died down, a silence hung in the air. It seemed to get more awkward the longer time passed by, and Zen cleared his throat.

"I guess I should properly introduce myself, but I would much prefer to do it in person. How about we do so over a cup of coffee? My treat."

You bit your lower lip and resisted the urge to scream before replying, "Yeah, sure. Sure, that sounds... um, lovely. Yes."

From the other side of the call, you could hear Zen let out a deep breath, almost as though he was holding it this entire time. When he spoke again, you could practically hear the large grin in his voice. "Great! So, uh, are you available this weekend?"

"Yes!" you answered perhaps a bit too enthusiastically. You cleared your throat before talking again, this time with a much more controlled volume. "I mean, yes, I am."

"Same cafe we first met?"

"Same cafe," you repeated, confirming your meeting spot.

The two of then decided on a time to meet in the afternoon, and after finalizing your plans, bid each other a good night before ending the call. After you hung up, you could only stare at your phone in silence, mechanically moving over to your bed and falling face-first into your pillow. You took one deep breath and another before screaming into it and rolling around your bed in glee. You giddily kicked your legs, not knowing what to do with this newfound energy.

Suddenly, you stood up and snapped your direction towards your closet. You opened it up with flair and stared at the assortment of clothes inside. There were still a few days left until the weekend, but it wouldn't hurt to try deciding right now on what outfit you were going to wear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What outfit do you decide to go with when you go to meet Zen?  
>  ~~• Comfy and casual~~  
>  • Dress yourself up a bit
> 
> * * *
> 
> * * *
> 
> I decided that from now on, I'll keep votes open for a week after a chapter has been posted just to keep voting times consistent and fair. ;;


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Votes from previous chapter:**   
> 

After much debate, you decided that it wouldn't hurt to dress up a bit for your planned meeting with the young man you just met. It'd be nice to put some effort into trying to match Zen's beauty and to possibly attempt to appeal to him more. You dig through your closet in search for something to wear, but no matter how hard you looked, you just couldn't find anything _good_ enough. Your arms crossed over your chest as you wondered what to do now.

Well, there were still some days left until your date (is that what it is?) with Zen, so it wouldn't hurt to go do some shopping. You had a day off tomorrow, so you decided to go out then. Hopefully, you would be able to find something nice. It's been a _long_ while since you've been in a relationship, and Zen seemed like quite the catch (judging by your previous phone call with him, not just by appearance alone), so you wanted your meeting with the young man to go well. Excited for the days to come, you go to bed and try to fall asleep.

The next morning, you wake up a bit earlier than usual and feeling like you were ready to take on the world. You quickly go about your morning routine with vigor and change into something more appropriate for shopping. Slipping on your shoes at the doorway, you leave your apartment with a spring in your steps.

You walk around the streets, glancing through the store windows in search for an outfit that might stick out to you. For a good portion of the day, you came up empty-handed, walking into stores and trying out all sorts of different clothes but finding that they just didn't feel _right_. They were either too provocative or extravagant, or they looked too boring, or they just didn't suit you at all.

Just when you were about to give up, sighing in complete defeat and fatigue after having walked for hours on end, you saw it. It was a simple dress with a gradient of colours that complimented your skin colour, plus it looked comfortable to wear. Needless to say, you felt as though you found the perfect outfit. Your footsteps were eager when you walked into the store to try it on.

After heading into a changing room and trying on the dress, you couldn't help but beam at your reflection. The dress was your ideal length, not too short and not too long. The colours really brought out your hair and eyes, and every time you twisted and turned to look at yourself from every angle, the way the light just caught the fabric was just absolutely gorgeous. _You_ felt gorgeous. It was a dress that you felt great and comfortable in, and despite it being a _tad_ bit expensive to your liking, you decided to indulge yourself.

By the time you walk out of the store, dress neatly bagged in hand, and start heading back home, it's already evening. You don't mind it though because all that time spent was worth it in the end. You hum a soft melody, in an obviously good mood, when you see a group of men hanging around a bit further away from you. You furrow your brows, a nervous knot settling in your stomach, and you curse your luck that you have to pass by these suspicious looking males to get back to your home.

You straighten up your back and steel yourself. Your eyes stay focused in front of you as you pass by them. Just ignore them. Ignore them, and they won't bother you. ...Or so you hoped.

One of the men stepped in front of you, effectively stopping you in your tracks. You tried to control your reaction, not wanting to come off as terrified and weak to spur them on nor overbearingly confident to challenge them. The others surrounded you quickly afterwards, wearing far too friendly smiles on their faces. "Hey there, dollface." You try to think of how to respond to that, but one of the men continue speaking before you could even say a word. "A pretty lady such as yourself shouldn't be out this late walking alone. How about we accompany you back home?"

"No, thank you. I'm fine," you answered firmly as you tried to think of how to get out of this situation without much fuss.

"No, no, we _insist_." The man in front of you placed a hand unreservedly on your shoulder. By this point, you were absolutely terrified of what they had in mind, and you were ready to struggle and fight if need be, but then somebody new joined in, clasping a hand onto the male's shoulder from behind. The man turned around, irritated, but shirked away when he was met with intense red eyes looking down at him.

You immediately recognized the other male as Zen, and your eyes lit up. Almost as though sensing that, Zen's gaze flickered over to you, and he shot you a reassuring smile which made you melt inside. "Are these men bothering you?" Zen asked, and you nodded immediately in response, unable to find your voice at the moment. "I see..."

The young man's gaze hardened when he brought his attention back to the group. They seemed to sense the silent threat in the air, and surprisingly enough, scrambled away without another word. Zen watched them retreat until they were completely out of sight before letting out a sigh of relief. His expression softened when he turned back to look at you. "Are you okay?"

You nodded your head again, and Zen smiled. For a moment, the two of you just stood there in silence, not quite sure where to go from here. Awkwardly, you cleared your throat, "I, um... I-I'll get going now, then... Thank you."

You've barely taken a step when Zen speaks up. "Wait." Curious, you look at him, and he rubs the back of his neck. "W-Would you mind if I accompanied you? I wouldn't want that to happen to you again, and it might help if you had somebody with you in case something happens."

Normally, you would refuse such an offer, but Zen seemed trustworthy. Plus you already knew him (somewhat) and were even planning to spend some time with him later, so you answered, "Sure. I'd like that, thanks."

Zen's eyes lit up almost immediately, and you bit your lip to stifle a laugh. The young man seemed to notice though, so he asked, "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," you replied, but the wide smile on your face said otherwise. "It's just... You kind of reminded me of a puppy right then."

"Ah..." Zen's cheeks seemed to glow red at the comment, and he gave a bashful smile. "I get that a lot."

You giggled. "I can imagine."

You then turned on your heel and started to head back home with Zen following a step behind you. He was awfully considerate, keeping an appropriate distance away from you but also staying close enough so that people could see that you weren't alone. He even offered to carry your shopping bag, but you had politely declined, not wanting to trouble him any further than he already has. He said that it was no trouble but didn't insist and respected your decision in the end.

Thankfully, you're able to get back home without any other problems, and you turn around to face Zen. "Thank you," you smile sweetly at him, and he returns your expression.

"Any time. I'm very excited for our date," he admits unabashed, and you find your cheeks warming up a bit.

Oh, so he considers it a date too. "So am I," you grin in response.

After an awkward farewell, Zen leaves, heading back in the direction the two of you walked, and you enter your apartment. You drop your things and give a satisfying stretch after an eventful day. You decide to go to bed early tonight, and just before you crawl into bed, you get a text message from Zen.

_"Despite what happened with those men before, I hope you have sweet dreams. Good night!"_

You bite back the squeal that threatens to spill out your lips. A sweetheart! Zen was an absolute _sweetheart_ , you think, and you abandon your bed for a moment, taking out your sketchbook. You open it to your sketch of the young man, and you just stare at it in admiration before bringing the book close to your chest and hugging it. How on earth did you get so lucky?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are no choices to make at this time, but I would like to know: how do you mostly feel about your date with Zen that's coming up? (;  
> • Excited  
>  ~~• Nervous~~


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Votes from previous chapter:**   
> 

If Zen had to describe how he was feeling at this moment with just one word, it would have to be _nervous_. He was internally debating with himself, wondering if he arrived too early or not. On one hand, he _may_ have gotten a bit excited and arrived far earlier than the meeting time, but on the other hand, if _you_ came early yourself, then you wouldn't have to wait for him if he came on time instead. The young man sat at a table, tapping his fingers against his thighs. Just a few minutes before, he was tapping his feet against the floor and shaking his leg, but he figured he would disturb the other patrons if he kept that up, so he opted for something a bit more discreet.

Zen hasn't had a girlfriend in five years, and this fact made him feel a bit doubtful as to whether or not he still had his charms. Sure enough, he had his looks, but there was more to it than just that. The actor wanted you to know that he had much more going to him than just appearance alone, and he wanted to determine as to whether or not you would like him for who he was a whole. As much as he bragged about his appearance, Zen couldn't help but still feel uncertain about it. If people only saw him for how he looked.

The young man isn't quite too sure how he wants to go about this weird and awkward start of a relationship with you. Just a while ago, a new party coordinator joined the RFA, and Zen couldn't deny his growing attraction towards them. Unfortunately for him, they did not return his feelings and instead fell for Seven instead. As upsetting as it was for Zen to have lost a chance of being romantically involved with someone, seeing his friends happy was good enough. Both the newest member of the RFA and Seven were happy together and obviously cared for one another, and for Zen, that was enough. ...But he wanted to experience love too.

He wanted to make somebody smile with his words and presence alone. He wanted to shower them with love. He wanted to hold hands, walk around the streets without a care in the world, share food, and just have a really good time overall. He wanted to wake up to their voice and go to sleep with the last thing on his mind being their face. He wanted to laugh about stupid things and share secrets. Zen had his dream with his career, yes, but he wanted to _share_ it with someone special.

And then that was when he saw you. The actor was having difficulty with his new role and decided that a change of scenery might do him some good, so he had gone to a cafe with the hopes that it would help refresh his mind. He felt you staring at him from across the way, but you apparently didn't notice that he knew. It wasn't anything new for the actor; he's been stared at several times before, so he merely let things be.

However, when he stole the occasional glances towards you out of curiosity, he noticed that you were scribbling something. He wasn't too sure what though since he was too far away to see; it made him feel slightly self-conscious, but he thought your look of concentration was pretty cute and difficult to ignore. That was when he decided to strike up a conversation with you. Zen got up from his seat and made his way over to you.

Zen never quite had difficulty with words. Improv and smooth-talking were some of his talents, but when his eyes flickered over to your drawing of him, his mind somehow went blank. The details you paid so much attention to had him stunned. It was flattering how you managed to get all of his details perfectly and depict him in a way that captured his essence, and he panicked when his mind came up empty-handed.

Suddenly, words seemed to fail him, so he awkwardly gave you his calling card and briskly left. The actor tried to maintain a cool and suave demeanor, but as soon as he left, he buried his face into his hands and groaned. He realized he never gave his name nor asked for yours, and he figured that was probably the worst case of having a guy give the person they were interested in his number.

But to his pleasant surprise, you ended up contacting him despite his awkward gait. Zen found it awfully sweet on how considerate you were to text him first at night in case you ended up accidentally waking him. Of course, that wasn't ever going to happen because he planned on staying up until you called him, but you didn't know that.

The actor brought himself back to the present and slapped his cheeks to prepare himself. He wanted to be the perfect gentlemen. It's been a while since he's treated someone, and he wants things to go well, and hopefully, things could grow from there. Zen hears the door open, and he excitedly looks up, hoping that it's actually you this time. He's been shooting his head up at the door whenever it opened only to be disappointed when it's someone else who came inside, but this time, it's you that enters the cafe.

It _really_ is you, and the young man has to discreetly pinch himself to make sure that he isn't dreaming. His eyes widen when they fall upon your figure. He's in complete awe. The dress you were wearing looked wonderful on you, but what Zen was most captivated by was the excited smile on your face. The small bite of lip to contain your excitement, and Zen found himself biting his lower lip too.

You look around the cafe, thinking you might have arrived too early, but your eyes make contact with Zen's. The actor almost wants to look away from embarrassment, but he doesn't. He keeps his gaze locked with yours as you slowly start to make your way over. Zen immediately gets up from his seat and pulls your chair out for you. You giggle softly to yourself. It hasn't even been three whole minutes since the start of this date, but you already decided that it was going to be a good one.

You take your seat before Zen takes his own again, and the young man tries _really_ hard not to bounce in his seat. He keeps his head down for a while, probably to hide the small blush on his face, but you still catch it. He looks up at you through his lashes and offers you a small smile. "You look beautiful," he finally manages to speak, and you know that he's being sincere. He wasn't saying it out of formality; he truly did find you to look beautiful, and you grin.

"Thank you. You look very dashing yourself," you return, and Zen gives a lopsided smile in response, not quite sure what else to say.

It's a bit awkward and nerve-wrecking, and the two of you take your orders, hoping it'll help alleviate the tension in the air. It isn't quite successful, and the two of you sit there, taking a few occasional sips from your drinks, avoiding eye contact but stealing a few glances at each other here and there. Just then, you feel your legs accidentally brush against Zen's, and you immediately pull them back.

""Sorry,"" you both apologize at the exact same time.

The two of you stare at each other for a moment, smiling bashfully with an equal amount of blush on both of your cheeks before breaking out into a small laughing fit. You've attracted the stares of other people, but you don't care. You're too lost in your own little world as the previous tension dissolves away. You rest your elbows on the table and daringly lean forward.

"So, introductions..." you start.

Zen flashes you a wink. "Ladies first."

You lean back, unable to hide the stupid grin on your face, but when you look at Zen...he seems rather happy himself. It's as though he enjoys that stupid grin of yours, and it sort of pulls one out of him as well. So, you introduce yourself. You give your name once more and talk a little bit about yourself. The entire time, Zen seems fascinated, nodding his head and offering comments and questions here and there. Then finally, you decide you've had enough talking about yourself, and it's Zen's turn to introduce himself.

In all honesty, you can't take your eyes off of him when he starts to talk about himself, but not in a narcissistic manner. No, he was animated and passionate with his words and small actions, a large and toothy grin on his face. You lean forward on the table again, captivated, and it doesn't escape Zen's notice, and he beams even more that you're interested.

He tells you little things about himself and his hobbies, and you can feel yourself falling for him. You loved the way his eyes would light up whenever he talked about his job, or the way he would tilt his head to the side whenever he was thinking about something, or the way he would relax his shoulders whenever he got caught up in his words, or the way he would just...smile and look at you like you're the most beautiful person he's ever seen in his life, focusing on you and _only_ you.

Zen pauses to take a moment to catch his breath, and a comfortable silence fills the air between you two. Your hands are on the table, as are his, and he bites his cheek while wondering if it would be okay for him to reach out and grab hold of your hand.

 _"No, no, no, that would be inappropriate,"_ he thinks to himself. _"That'd be moving too quickly...or would it? It—It should be fine, right? I mean, she seems interested in me, and I'm definitely interested in her, so..."_

From the corner of your eyes, you see Zen's fingers twitch. That's when you finally realize how close your hands are to each other, and it dawns on you. You bow your head and press your lips together in a firm line to stop yourself from letting out an excited squeal at how adorable this young man was being right now. You decide to help him with his decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you do?  
>  ~~• Tell Zen, "You can hold my hand if you want to"~~  
>  • Go for it and quietly hold his hand  
>  ~~• Brush your legs with his again underneath the table~~
> 
> * * *
> 
> * * *
> 
> My heart is about to burst, omg. But if you guys are enjoying this (and I hope that you are), wait 'til you read what I have in mind for how the end of the date goes, depending on the choices you make. It's almost excruciating how I tell myself to wait at least a week first to give enough people time to read/vote before I can update the next part.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I mean, there really isn't any reason to wait any longer for the next chapter after seeing the votes, hah. Man, if you guys had voted for brushing your leg against Zen's, I would have written a super cute scene where you and Zen just wrestle with each other's feet/legs underneath the table, but oh well~  
>  **Votes from previous chapter:**  
> 

You decide to just go for it and take the actor's hand. You reach out tentatively, and your fingers brush against his skin. Zen seems to tense up a bit at that, but he doesn't pull away either, so you fully take his hand in yours. The two of you bring your attention to your linked hands before looking back at each other again. You watch as Zen's face flushes, turning his head as his free hand shoots up to cover his mouth. You make a questioning sound, trying to hide the teasing intonation in it.

"S-Sorry," Zen stutters out, still looking away. "I'm just... _really_ happy...right now..."

You hear him mutter out a quiet ' _oh god, I can't believe this is happening_ ' as he hides his face in his hand, and you are completely _overwhelmed_ with joy. You find yourself squeezing the male's hand which prompts him to look back at you, albeit flustered. He's admitted that he was really happy right now, and you are too, so you decide to show it to him with the large smile on your face.

It's rather strange, you think. You're pretty sure that by now, you've hopelessly fallen in love with Zen, but is it really possible to fall in love with someone so quickly? But then again, Zen has been such a pleasant date so far; he was sweet, funny, and just a really great guy overall. Sure, he seemed to come off as a bit narcissistic at times, but from what he's told you, he's hardworking and determined, and he's extremely passionate.

You want to spend more time with him. To get to know him more. To see all his different expressions. You want...you want to be someone special to him.

_He's become your muse._

Once Zen manages to calm himself down more or less, both you and the actor continue talking about different things, hands still linked together and just admiring the small warmth it provides. Eventually, the two of you finish up with your drinks and decide to extend this date a bit longer. You both stand up from your seats to leave, all the while never letting go of the other's hand. You have to actively remind yourself not to skip with glee, but there is a small bounce in your steps as you walk around the streets with the young man.

It's hard walking since you're too busy stealing glances at Zen to properly look at where you're going, but he safely guides you with ease. At some point, the streets start to become less crowded, and the sky slowly starts to become painted with warm and cool shades mixing together. You find it hard to believe that time passed by so quickly, and while you're still thinking that particular thought, your foot catches on something, threatening you to fall.

You let out a small yelp of surprise, but then you suddenly find yourself being strongly pulled back and coming into contact with Zen's firm and warm chest as his other arm goes to protectively wrap around your waist to steady you. Your heart races when you feel his breath near you when he asks if you're okay. Since your back is against Zen's chest and the both of you are facing the same direction, you have no idea what expression he's wearing, but you know for sure that you're a flustered mess yourself. You close your eyes tightly shut and try to get your breathing back to normal, but it doesn't help that Zen is chuckling from behind you.

Ever so slightly, you feel his grip around your waist tighten. "I guess now we're even," he blows on your ear, and you don't think it's fair. It's not fair how you could tease him to become a flustered mess, but when _you_ get embarrassed, he's able to jump in on the teasing himself without any problems. There are just way too many different sides to this young man that you want to explore.

Soon enough, Zen lets go of you, and you turn around to face him. Though reluctant, Zen suggests that it's about time to bring you back home. When you accidentally let slip a small whine of protest, he smiles. "As much as I'd love to spend more time with you, I, uh..." the actor hesitates for a bit, rubbing the back of his neck. "It probably wouldn't be a good idea since I could become a beast at any given time."

"A beast...?" you ask, momentarily confused as you tilt your head to the side before it clicks in your mind.

... _Oh_.

...... _Oohhh_.

You can't help but think of Zen as a dork because of that, but it's kind of endearing in a way, and it takes every ounce of your willpower to not burst out laughing. So instead, you unknowingly say, "I wouldn't mind that."

It's quiet for a moment as the two of you process what you just said. When your mind finally catches up, Zen chokes while you try to correct yourself, and as a result of moving your heads at the exact same time, the two of your harshly bump foreheads.

"" _Ow!_ "" you both exclaim simultaneously.

The two of you pull back, and you crouch down while Zen puts his hand on the nearby post for support, both of you massaging your heads. Had anybody seen the whole thing happen from an outsider's perspective, it would have been quite a comedic sight. You vaguely hear Zen apologize even though it wasn't really his fault, and you apologize too. After a few more seconds of trying to relieve the pain in your head, Zen extends a hand out for you and clears his throat, acting as though what happened never happened. It was probably best to leave it at that, you decide.

You graciously accepts Zen's hand, and he helps you stand upright. The actor's obviously still embarrassed by what happened, refusing to make eye contact with you. "I'll walk you home," he offers.

"Are you sure? Don't you live along the way?" you ask as you remember the last time he accompanied you back home. "I'd feel bad if you had to walk me home and then go all the way back."

"I wouldn't mind walking the extra distance for you."

Your heart flutters at his words, and you silently nod, accepting his offer. The walk is awkward, but not unbearably so. Since your accidental slip of the tongue, both you and Zen sort of maintained a bit of shy distance from each other. Your hand brushed against Zen's, and you hesitated on whether or not you should take it again, but then you remember Zen's flustered expression and decide that his heart probably can't take much more excitement. To be honest, you have no idea if your heart can either.

You find yourself walking much slower than usual, wanting to prolong your time with the young man as much as you can. It seemed as though Zen was of the same mind, matching your steps. Despite that, however, your date comes to an end, and you're standing just in front of your apartment. Both you and Zen stand in front of each other, gazes downcast as you both try to think of what to say.

"Um..." you're the first one to break the silence. "Thank you for today. I...had a lot of fun."

Zen nods slowly. "Same here..."

Silence stretches out in the space between you two once more, and when you spare a glance towards the actor, you can't take it any longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you do?  
>  ~~• Kiss Zen on the lips~~  
>  • Kiss Zen on the cheek  
>  ~~• Hug Zen~~


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a liar who said I would wait a week to have people vote and whatnot, but the amount was overwhelming; I decided I'm a horrible person who went back on her words. "OTL  
>  **Votes from previous chapter:**  
> 

You take a few steps forward and go on your tiptoes, placing a quick kiss on the actor's cheek. When you pull away, slightly embarrassed, you watch as Zen's eyes widen from realization on what just happened. His entire face flushed several shades, and his mouth opened and closed as though trying to grasp for words but was unsuccessful. Zen's hand went to touch his cheek that you kissed, his gaze flickering between your eyes and your lips.

Suddenly feeling rather nervous and shy, you duck your head and stutter out, "I-It was a lot of fun spending time with you. If possible, I'd like to...maybe...do it again...some time...?"

Your confidence wavered near the end of your question, and you involuntarily let out a small squeak. You were met with silence at first before Zen eventually spoke up, " _Yes_!"

You jumped in surprise from the young man's sudden and enthusiastic response, lifting your head up just in time to see Zen bow his head. He cleared his throat and tried again, "Um, I mean, yes... I'd-I'd love— _like_ —no, no, I'd _love_ to."

You bit your lower lip to conceal your excitement, your hands going to clasp behind your back as you lightly swung back and forth on your feet. "Okay, well, you have my number, so any time that would be good for you..."

After that, there was a lull in the conversation; although, both you and Zen already knew what needed to be said. All that was left was your farewells so that you could officially end your date, but it seemed as though neither of you wanted to speak. It was getting awfully late though, and Zen didn't want to keep you up, so he slowly brought his gaze to meet yours and softly called your name.

"Yes?"

Mustering up all his courage, the actor bent down and left a quick peck on your cheek to match the one you gave him. He grinned widely at you, and you could see the small sense of pride and accomplishment in his expression. "Thanks for being such a wonderful date. Good night."

"G-g-Good—" you struggled with your words and paused to swallow. "Good night!"

Feeling like your heart was about to burst at any moment, you spin on your heel and start heading for your apartment door, opening it. Before you go inside, you daringly look back and make eye contact with Zen who's still staring at you. He gives a shy wave of his hand which you return before retreating to your apartment from any further giddiness.

As soon as your door closes, Zen leaps while punching the air. The actor runs a hand through his hair, letting out a deep breath. He then takes out his phone to take a quick selfie. The young man stares at it for a moment before his lips split into a wide grin. "You still got it," he praises himself as he tucks his phone back into his pocket before running back to his apartment to relive the day again in the comfort of his home.

Zen doesn't bother changing his clothes, still too excited from the events of the day. He throws himself onto his bed, having it creak a bit underneath his sudden weight, and the young man buries his face into his pillow to scream. He continues to scream, keeping the pillow against his face as he rolls around as much as he can on his bed, occasionally kicking his legs from glee.

Zen breathes out a blissful sigh after having calmed down, and his hand goes to touch his cheek again. Your lips were soft and gentle, and the actor finds himself biting his lip in a poor attempt to contain his joy. He wonders what it would be like to kiss your lips directly before shaking the thought out of his head. That would be moving too quickly, but it'd be nice if he could feel them against his own one day.

It was a good day, he thinks. Correction: a _really_ good day. He was uncertain and nervous about the whole thing prior, but it turned out much better than he ever expected. It's been a while since he's been on a date, but from the ones he _does_ remember, he has never felt like _this_ before. Zen felt extremely relaxed (more or less) around you, like he didn't need to put up any airs or walls around you. When your hand went to hold his, it was firm and reassuring, almost as though you were already willingly accepting him despite only having known him for such a short amount of time.

_Was this fate?_

Zen can't help himself but think that the more his thoughts wandered towards you. He's never felt such strong emotions for someone he just recently met, asides from the newest RFA member. Zen didn't like to believe himself as someone who would decide if somebody was the love of his life after just the first date. He wanted to make sure that he knew them first and that they knew him. You completely shattered that mindset though, and Zen doesn't know why.

Maybe it was just infatuation, but the actor truly felt like it was something much deeper than that. There was only one way to find out for certain, and that was to spend more time with you. But not yet; he didn't want to seem clingy or desperate, and he still needed some time to himself to calm his racing heart first. So instead, Zen decides to send you a text in the meantime.

_"I look forward to our next date!"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter's going to be rather different which in turn is why it _might_ take a while to update. Instead of choosing an option, leave an ask/reply with a text that you might send Zen at any given time (with absolutely no context) during your _budding_ relationship with him. ( _ **One**_ only) Remember to keep it appropriate, and I'll try to incorporate _as much_ of them as I possibly can in the next chapter, but please don't be disappointed if I end up having to cut some out.
> 
> **Some example texts that you can comment:**  
>  "I saw a puppy today that reminded me of you"  
> "I'm bored. What are you doing now?"  
> "It feels kind of lonely right now..."  
> 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who submitted a text to use in this chapter! I wanted to try something a bit different, so this happened. Do tell me if you would like chapters like this once in a while or if you would prefer to strictly stay to the format of the previous chapters.

After that wonderful date with Zen and spending a few days to calm yourselves, the two of you tried to make plans to go for another date, but your schedules always seemed to clash. If you were free, then Zen was busy. If Zen was free, then you were busy. You tried not to let the disappointment seep into the times you talked with Zen on the phone, but it seemed as though he was just as disappointed.

Well, it wasn't like the two of you were completely separated though. Even if the two of you couldn't spend time together face-to-face, you at least still had phone calls and texts. Phone calls were a bit more limited due to the timing and location, but the texts were quite frequent. They topics of discussion ranged from all sorts of subjects, and they were always fun to read. Apparently, Zen almost got caught texting you when he was supposed to be working; you had laughed at him, but to be honest, the same thing almost happened to you too.

You breathed out a sigh as you gazed out your window. There wasn't really anything to do, and you didn't feel like sleeping just yet. As you stared out into the night sky, you couldn't help but wonder what Zen was doing now. By now, you knew that he was still awake, so you decided to send him a quick text.

Zen was just finishing up some late night running and about to head back into his apartment when his phone chimed with a new text alert from you. The actor hurriedly fished through his pocket for it, opening your message with a large grin on his face. When his eyes read through the text, he looked up at the sky as you suggested and sighed in awe and wonder. How could he have almost possibly missed such a beautiful sight while he was running?

You read Zen's reply and resisted the urge to scream. How cheesy! How _absolutely_ cheesy and cringeworthy! But even so, you could feel the actor's emotions through his text, and even if you did want to smash your head against the wall from embarrassment, you couldn't deny the way your heart raced from his words.

On the other hand, Zen was feeling quite proud and satisfied with himself. Asides from his good looks, if there was one thing that the young man took great pride in himself, it was how much of a romantic he was. He smiled smugly to himself, humming a cheerful melody as he imagined what your reaction was like right now. Were you smiling? Were you blushing? Zen wanted to see it; he wanted to see your different expressions so badly, wishing he could just run to you whenever.

The actor stepped inside his apartment, slipping off his shoes and moving to get comfortable after a nice run. The young man was retrieving a set of clean clothes to change into when his phone chimed once more, and his hand instinctively went for his phone, his lips naturally curving into a smile when he saw your name pop up with a new text message.

Zen brought up a hand to his mouth, muffling his delighted scream. You were going to be the death of him one day; that's what he firmly believed. The actor then brought his hands to his cheeks and tried to massage them; he was grinning way too much and way too wide that they started to hurt. The young man then deftly typed up his response.

It didn't take you that long to reply.

Zen smiled, feeling his heart swell at the fact that you felt the same that he did. Momentarily forgetting his plans to shower and freshen himself up, the young man continued to reveal much of what was in his heart to you.

You stared long and hard at the recent text Zen sent you, and you suddenly remembered his flustered expressions during your date. You laugh softly to yourself at the memory. Feeling rather mischievous and teasing, you decide to have a bit of _fun_ with the actor.

Zen cursed under his breath as he bent down to retrieve his phone that he clumsily dropped, warmth pooling in his cheeks. You stared at the incoherent text, laughing as you easily guessed just what might have happened to the male. Quickly, you sent another text before he could reply.

Zen let out a strangled sound as his entire body flushed a significant amount. His hands trembled as he typed away at the keys while you were waiting rather patiently and with extreme amusement for his response. You let out a loud bark of laughter at his spam of texts.

You paused for a moment, realizing something.

In the end, Zen never replied, and you could only imagine what he was doing in that time. You could only hope that whatever he was doing involved thoughts of you.

* * *

After that fun exchange of texts, the two of you naturally fell back to sending light-hearted messages to each other that didn't make the other combust into flames. You were going through your pages on your sketchbook and heaved a sigh. You haven't drawn in quite some time, having come across a stubborn art block. Picking up your phone, you decided to ask Zen for help.

[](http://i.imgur.com/6Sx0lJP.png)  


Your heart swelled at the idea of going on another date with Zen, and you bounced excitedly in your seat, hoping that the both of you would be able to find the time. When the actor said that he was free on the weekend, same as you, you almost leapt with joy.

You hummed thoughtfully to yourself. At the moment, you thought of two places: a small meadow that almost nobody except you went to, or your apartment. While the meadow would be a nice background to use, it would depend on the weather, plus it'd be a bit of a hassle to carry all of your drawing supplies. On the other hand, your apartment was small and didn't have much flattering lighting, but at least all your belongings were here and it did offer you comfort and some privacy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where do you want your drawing session/date to take place?  
> • The meadow  
>  ~~• Your home~~
> 
> * * *
> 
> * * *
> 
> If you want to see the "enlarged" version of the picture attachment Zen sent, you can find it [[here]](http://i.imgur.com/6Sx0lJP.png). (:


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Votes from previous chapter:**   
> 

_"There's a meadow a bit further out from where I live. The scenery there is beautiful; I think you'd like it."_

The corners of your lips curve into a smile when you receive a text in return from Zen, confirming the date. You feel as though ever since meeting the young man, you've been feeling much happier and more free. Like there was something to look forward to each and every day, and there _was_ with the actor sending you daily selfies. You place a hand over your heart to calm it down. Just the thought alone of spending some time with Zen was enough to get your heart racing.

When it's time for your date, you decide to wear something much more casual and comfy. You would have liked to wear something nicer, but when it came to drawing, you wanted to be as comfortable as possible. You ran around your small apartment, trying to finish packing your belongings before Zen arrived. You had just finished stuffing some last-minute snacks into your bag when there was a knock on the door. You greet the white-haired male with a smile the moment you open the door.

"You look nice," he compliments you, and you give yourself a quick look-over before shooting him a skeptical look.

"These aren't even my nicer-looking clothes," you answer him.

Zen shakes his head, the smile on his face always present. "I still think you look beautiful either way." The sincerity in his voice makes you want to bow your head, and you mutter out a clumsy word of thanks before moving to gather up your bag, but Zen offers out his hand instead. "Here, let me carry that for you."

You hesitate the slightest bit, not wanting to trouble the young man, but the insistent look in his eyes has you cave in. "Ever the gentleman," you comment idly as Zen takes your bag from you, his fingers lingering a bit longer around your own.

"A princess should be spoiled," Zen replies cheekily, flashing you a toothy grin.

You purse your lips at that. "Are you saying I'm spoiled?"

The actor chuckles, his shoulders shaking. "No, but I _would_ like to spoil you. Ahh... Even now, I would like to spoil you by carrying you so that you wouldn't get tired from walking."

"No thanks," you answer immediately as you think about how many stares you would receive from strangers. Maybe if it was just the two of you alone, then you wouldn't mind. You shake the thought away as you add, "Besides, I'm heavy."

"Shall we test it out?"

There's a teasing lilt in Zen's voice as he asks the question, shuffling over closer to you, and you almost think that he's going to just randomly pick you up and carry you, so you brace yourself. You remain tense for a few more seconds, but when your feet are still on the ground, you cock your head to the side. Zen answers your curious expression with a small and reassuring smile. "I won't ever do anything that you don't want," he explains simply.

"I never said I didn't want it..." you reply slowly, carefully choosing your words. "Just...maybe some other time."

"Is that a promise?" Zen questions, the cheerfulness evident in his voice, and you nod shyly. "I look forward to it then!"

The two of you go on your way to the meadow with you leading the way. Both you and Zen engage in idle chatter, catching up with each other with a few banter and cheesy comments on how you two missed each other. As the two of you continue walking, Zen spots a familiar head of red accompanied by a familiar face of a young woman. The red-head and Zen meet gazes, and Zen feels nervous knots twist into his stomach when he sees his friend start running towards you two, the young woman following close behind him.

"Zen!" The red-head exclaims with a large grin on his face, and the two of you momentarily pause on your journey.

The actor greets the two with a curt nod and acknowledgement of their names. The male named Saeyoung then turns his attention towards you, and you can't help but flinch from the mischevious glint in his eyes. He tilts his head to the side in an exaggerated manner. "Who's she?"

"Oh, she's...m-my...girlfriend..." Zen awkwardly introduces you to the other pair, warmth rising to his cheeks as he steals a glance your way, wondering how you would react to such an introduction. He sees the bright and timid smile on your lips, and the young man can't stop his blush from deepening, his heart swelling.

The young woman beside Saeyoung offers you a friendly smile. "It's nice to meet you."

You don't get a chance to respond as Saeyoung snickers quite loudly, catching your attention. A devilish smile plays on his lips as he warns you. "You should be careful of the beast."

Zen gawks, "For the love of— _Saeyoung_!!"

* * *

After that _interesting_ encounter with Zen's friends, the two of you finally arrive at your destination. It was a bit of a walk, but it was definitely worth it. Zen's eyes widened when he was greeted by an open expanse of luscious green grass with a wild array of all sorts of colourful flowers scattered about. Near the middle of the meadow stood a large oak tree, acting as a final touch to the beautiful scenery.

Zen breathed in the fresh air. "Wow..."

"It's gorgeous, isn't it?" You ask, and Zen nods, still far too stunned by the view to offer any words. You tilt your head back to look at the blue sky, appreciating how nice the weather was that day. You then take Zen by the hand and lead him to the oak tree where the two of you settle down. Zen carefully places your bag on the ground, and you start to take out your drawing supplies.

"So, what do you need me to do?" He asks curiously. He's modeled for photographers before, but not for other types of artists, so the actor's not too sure if it's any different.

"Just be handsome," you answer with a small hum, still shifting through your bag to get your supplies out.

"In other words, just be myself."

You unintentionally let out a bark of laughter at Zen's narcissistic response. "You got it!"

A smile creeps up onto the actor's lips when he sees how much you enjoyed his response, and his heart swells once more as he comments. "You're too cute, babe."

At that, you pause for a moment with your actions. You tilt your head to the side and let out a thoughtful hum. "I realized you recently started calling me that."

"Sorry, do you not like it?" The young man sounds apologetic, like he stepped over a line, but you shake your head to tell him to think nothing of it.

"No, I do... Just...pointing it out, is all."

You hear Zen offer a small sound of acknowledgement from behind you before he shuffles over to where you are. He experimentally wraps his arms loosely around your waist, gauging your reaction to see if this kind of proximity between you two is something you're okay with. When you lean a bit further back into his warmth, Zen relaxes and becomes more confident in his embrace around you. 

"Well, if you ever get tired of it, there's other things I could call you, like 'princess', 'honey', 'cutie'...but..." the young man trails off, and you become curious as to what he was about to say. Just then, you feel Zen's chest press even more against your back as he leans close so that his lips were beside your ear. "I think my most favourite is your name." Almost as though to emphasize his point, he whispers out your name, and you could hear the pure joy and admiration in his voice.

You feel your knees grow weak, but Zen supports you firmly against him. "Z-Zen..." You're not sure how to react or respond, your mind complete mush from the way the actor's exhaled breaths tickled your skin and the way his body was wrapped around you like a perfect fit.

"Oh, that's right... I never actually told you my real name, have I?" The actor muses as he finally turns you around to face him completely.

You tilt your head to the side. "Real name?" You think you vaguely recall coming across it when you first started to look up the actor on social media, but it had completely slipped from your mind since he rarely used it.

"Zen is just my stage name," the young man explains with a small smile plastered on his lips. "My real name is Hyun Ryu."

"Hyun Ryu..." You repeat Zen's name softly, trying to get a feel for it on your lips. You tentatively lift up a hand and lightly trace the actor's jaw with your fingers, and you swear you could hear Zen's heart throbbing loudly against his chest. Or was that your own heart? It was hard to tell. "Hyun... How beautiful."

You move to retract your hand, but Zen quickly grabs your wrist, not wanting to let go of your warmth so soon. He guides your hand to rest your palm onto his cheek, and you feel how warm it is. "I don't really go by Hyun that much because of my past with that name, but... I think I quite like the way you say it."

You're curious as to what happened in the young man's past that would make him want to abandon his name, but you push the thought away for now. You'll find it out later in your relationship, you hope. "I'll be sure not to wear it out, Zen." You decide to only call him by his real name once the two of you have become much closer, and the actor smiles appreciatively.

"By the way," Zen starts, shifting the conversation to a new topic as he takes a step back from you and rubs the back of his neck. "I hope you weren't uncomfortable with me just announcing you as my girlfriend..."

"Isn't that what I am though?" You question, feeling your uncertainty grow. "I mean, we _are_ dating...right?"

"Ah, I guess..."

"You guess?" Hurt flashes through your expression, and Zen curses underneath his breath. He quickly moves back to you and cups your cheeks, his thumbs gently stroking the expanse of skin.

"Wait, wait, don't look so sad! I just meant...well, I mean, we never actually said those words to each other..."

For a moment, you don't understand what the young man's talking about. "What words?"

Zen looks to be struggling, chewing on his lower lip as he averts his gaze. "Y-You know which...those three special words..."

That's when it all clicks in your mind. You guess you could understand where the young man's uncertainty was coming from. After all, it's only been your second date, but the two of you have been texting and calling each other every day for at least a week. Did Zen have doubts about moving too fast? But is there even such a thing as "too fast" or "too slow" in a relationship when both people felt the same way towards each other?

You didn't have any doubts about what you felt for Zen. He was perfect, both inside and out, and you loved each and every single part of him. You were certain that you would love the parts of him that you still haven't seen yet too. Your eyes look at the actor who seems to be contemplating on his words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you do?  
> • Say "I love you"  
> • Wait for Zen to speak
> 
> * * *
> 
> A quick question: how "far" in the relationship do you guys want this fic to go/be? Like, do you want to see reader and Zen married, or have kids, or what?  
> Do you want this fic to be mostly on building the relationship (i.e. lots of "firsts" with Zen like first kiss, first argument, etc.) which is much more linear, or do you want to a more episodic-like fic, looking into the domestic lives of an already established relationship?


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Votes from previous chapter:**   
> 

"I love you," you end up speaking first, and Zen's eyes widen as soon as the words reach his ears. He seems dazed, almost as though he can't believe it, so you repeat your confession once more, your gaze unwavering.

Zen bites his lower lip to stop himself from smiling like a complete idiot, but you can still see the joy dancing behind his eyes. He tilts his head to the side, and his hands that were cupping your cheeks slide down to grip your hands instead, giving them a gentle squeeze. "You beat me to it. I wanted to say it first."

"You can still say it now," you answer slowly, a small sense of urging in your voice to have the young man before you admit whether or not he reciprocated your feelings.

Zen catches onto your uncertainty, so he raises one of your hands he was holding and lifts it up to his lips. He places a light kiss onto your fingers, the contact sending a small surge of electricity to course within you. "I love you," Zen confesses with a light blush on his cheeks. Your face lights up instantly from his words which sends Zen's heart soaring. He squeezes your hands a bit more while a toothy grin creeps to his features. "I... Can I hear you say it again?"

You nod your head, more than happy to repeat it. "I love you."

Zen repeats after you and returns the sentiment. He laughs, overjoyed as his eyes close and squeezes your hand even more. You squeeze back with just as much strength, and you finally realize just how close you two are. You tilt your head back to properly look at Zen, and when he feels your warm breath on his face, he opens his eyes once more. A small surprised gasp leaves him, but he doesn't make a move to awkwardly pull away either.

"I, um..." you start speaking, unable to bear the silence, but your mind comes up blank, and you don't know what to say. Zen just continues to smile down at you, patient, and his thumbs move to stroke the back of your hands that he's still holding and stubbornly refuses to let go. He dips his head down and rests his forehead against yours before letting out a dreamy sigh.

"I'm so happy right now," he comments idly to himself, but you're still able to catch it.

"I'm happy too," you admit before remembering your initial plan of why the two of you came here. You pull away from the actor, your cheeks flushed as your eyes become downcast. "S-So, um, how about we start?"

For a second, Zen seems confused, and he tilts his head to the side before it clicks in his mind. "Oh, right!" He offers you a nervous laugh while rubbing the back of his neck. The two of you decide to sit down on the grass with you in front of the young man and make yourselves comfortable. You take out your drawing supplies and open up your sketchbook to a fresh page. Your eyes glance upwards, and your breath catches in your throat when you see Zen staring at you with a smile on his face.

Too flustered to speak, you merely clear your throat as you start to draw the actor before you. As time passes by, the silence becomes less awkward and much more comfortable. There was an occasional breeze that blew by which prompted you to pause with your pencil strokes so that you could brush your strands of hair away from your face, but overall, it was a very peaceful and relaxing time. The sun felt warm on your skin, and the light sound of scratching of lead against paper filled you with comfort. Of course, you also had a very nice view to look at as well.

Zen continues to stare at you with pure adoration behind his eyes. He hasn't looked away from you since you started drawing, and he finds himself smiling to himself as he watches you. There's a look of determination present in your furrowed eyebrows, and the way the corner of your lips tugged into a smile or the way you occasionally bit the bottom of your lip did things to his heart. His heart hammered and leapt in his chest, and he had to sit on his hands to stop himself from fidgeting.

"How long have you been drawing?" Zen finally decides to speak, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled in between you two.

Not once lifting your eyes from the paper, you answer, "A while. I've always enjoyed drawing when I was younger, but I've only recently started getting serious about it. Sort of."

The actor hums in acknowledgement and continues with another question. "What do you usually draw?"

"Whatever catches my interest."

Zen bites at his lower lip, the corner of his mouth tugging upwards into a small smirk. "So then does that mean _I_ caught your interest?"

Your hands stop with their motions the moment Zen's question reaches you, and you glance up at him. The actor shoots you a wink, and you're not too sure how to respond to that, so you bring your attention back to your sketchbook to hide your reddened cheeks and casually shrug your shoulders. "I guess."

Before Zen could respond, you feel a droplet of water on your nose, and you scrunch up your face. You tilt your head back to look at the sky, confusion etched on your features when you see that the sun is still out. Nevertheless, water droplets continue to fall, and you immediately close your sketchbook and shove all of your drawing supplies into your bag, a string of curses leaving you under your breath.

The actor is quick to help you out, and the two of you find cover under the leaves of the oak tree, making sure to keep your bag and everything inside it dry. Zen watches the rain fall before sparing you a glance, and he gets an idea, or perhaps it was more like an impulsive wish. Without saying a word, the actor steps in front of you and bows down in a fluid motion, holding his hand out for you.

"Dance with me."

You can't stop the wide grin that spreads across your face, and you nod before setting your bag down on the ground, making sure it wouldn't get too wet. Your hand reaches for Zen's, but before you can even touch him, Zen quickly snatches your wrist and guides you out in the rain with an excited smile playing on his lips.

It's not really much of a dance but more like skipping around with swaying hips, your fingers laced with the actor's. Zen guides you around, giving you an occasional twirl, and you can't help but throw your head back and laugh as the rain continues to fall on both of your figures. You're not too sure how long the two of you danced in the rain, but the sudden sunshower ends much too soon for your liking.

Both you and Zen eventually slow to a stop, mirroring each other's delighted expressions as you stare at one another in silence. Zen brushes away your strands of hair that stuck to your face, and he leans down to give you a quick and soft kiss on your forehead. The overwhelming joy in his heart bubbles out of him as a laugh at your flushed cheeks, and you decide to retaliate out of embarrassment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you do?  
> • Kiss his lips  
> • Tickle his sides  
> • Pull his hair


	10. Chapter 10

Trying to look as innocent as possible, you step around the actor so that you're standing right behind him. Before Zen can turn around, you grab his vulnerable ponytail and give it a swift yank, eliciting a surprised yelp from the male. You let go of the locks, raising your hands up in the air as a gesture of surrender when Zen whips himself around to look at you accusingly, his cheeks flushed. You stick your tongue out at him before letting out a small shriek when the young man lunges himself towards you full of mischief.

You run around the open area as fast you can while Zen chases close behind you. Stupidly enough, you run towards the tree where you had left all your stuff behind when hands slam onto the tree bark, encasing you between two strong arms. Your back is turned towards Zen, and you can feel his breaths behind you as you both try to catch yourselves from that small bit of exercise.

"That wasn't nice," Zen comments with a low voice. You can hear the smirk in his words at how he has you captive, but it's what convinces you to turn and face him.

A gasp leaves your lips, surprised to find the actor's face so close to yours. For a moment, it feels as though time froze for you as you stare back at those smouldering eyes that look deep into yours. Zen's arms relax, leaving the tree and instead fall down to rest on your hips. He leans his face closer to yours, almost like in a trance.

You can't bring yourself to look away, but the more Zen's lips approach yours, the heavier you find your eyelids to be. You can feel the actor's warm breaths mingling with your own in the small gap between you two, and you finally allow your eyes to close shut. There's a short pause, and before you know it, the actor's warmth leaves your face, and you feel a weight on one of your shoulders. Confused, you peek open your eyes, finding Zen to be resting his head on you.

Though a bit disappointed from what you expected, you figured kissing each other now might be too soon. While you certainly didn't mind, from what you know about Zen, he's someone who wants to make every single moment special, and you can agree with that. If you're going to be in a relationship with someone like Zen whom you may slightly think is just over your league, you want to make sure that any kind of intimacy is because of a deeper connection and not something out of the impulsiveness of hormones or prolonged loneliness.

"Sorry about that," the actor breathes out an apology before straightening himself back up, attempting to hide his embarrassment-filled cheeks with the back of his hand. The young man's gaze wanders, and an awkward silence stretches out between the two of you.

Clearing your throat to break the silence, you decide to ask, "Do you want to come over to my place for a bit? Just to get yourself dried up and evedything so that you don't get sick."

"I, uh..." Zen hesitates for a moment, chewing on his bottom lip as he ponders your offer. He can't help his mind wandering to places it shouldn't and make dangerous assumptions, but he doesn't want to refuse your kindness either. After a few more anxious seconds, the young man answers, "Yeah, sure. I have a big performance coming up soon, so it wouldn't do to get sick." That seems like a believable enough excuse.

"Okay then, it's decided. Good," you breathe out.

"Yeah, good..." Zen repeats with uncertainty, rubbing the back of his neck.

The two of you gather your belongings while only exchanging a few words here and there. Like the gentleman he is, Zen offers to carry your stuff, and you accept with a bit of reluctant guilt. The young man reassures you that it's fine, and you both start heading back to your place with high tension in the air.

While walking home, you slip your hand with Zen's free one, and he almost immediately intertwines your fingers together. "We should do this again some time..." Zen suggests, the pitch of his voice the slightest bit higher than usual.

You nod your head in agreement, squeezing the young man's hand. "Yeah, we should. It was...fun. Drawing you is fun. _Being with you_ is... _really_ fun."

"I like having you with me," Zen admits bashfully, stealing a glance your way from the corner of his eyes.

"So do I—I mean, I like being with you," you respond, keeping your gaze on the ground as warmth pools to your cheeks. This might be a bit more of an awkward walk back home than you expected.

* * *

Both you and Zen manage to make it back to your place despite the tension in the air which seems to have lightened as soon as the pair of you are inside and can be distracted with other things. Zen places down your belongings on the floor as you both slip off your shoes. You lock the door behind you and then proceed to head to your closet with the actor trailing behind you with slight hesitation.

Zen fidgets with the hem of his wet shirt as you fish through your closet for a spare set of clothes that the young man can use. As you do so, you tell him, "You can go and shower first to freshen yourself up. I'll put the towel and a change of clothes for you later on the counter while you're in. Oh, and leave your clothes on the floor so that I can put them in the laundry."

"Thanks," Zen answers simply and then turns to do as you suggested.

After finding the bathroom, the actor closes the door behind him, leaning back against it as he breathes out a sigh of relief. He covers his eyes with his hands and takes a few deep breaths to calm down. Today was just a really... _intense_ day. He introduced you to his friend as his girlfriend, you both properly confessed your feelings for each other, he almost kissed you, and now he was in your house and getting ready to shower.

"Years of acting on stage, and _nothing_ compares to how my nerves are right now," Zen mutters to himself with a slight shrug of his shoulders.

The young man exhales another breath as he slips off his hair tie. He runs his fingers through the locks to smoothen them out and then starts to work on removing his clothes, placing them into a small pile on the floor like you instructed. Once completely bare, Zen starts the shower, hoping it would help relieve his jitteriness.

Back in your room, you can hear the running shower from the bathroom. Thankfully, you manage to find some men's clothes hidden away in the corner of your closet. You take them out and lay them on the bed so that you could choose which one would be more appropriate for Zen to wear. You opt for the black sweatpants, but you hesitate on the shirts.

One of the shirts was a baggy white T-shirt with the words "BAD WOLF" printed on it plus a blue police box underneath it. The other shirt was a simple black long-sleeve, but looking at it again, it might be a bit snug for Zen's figure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Which shirt do you offer to have Zen change into?  
> • The white T-shirt  
> • The black long-sleeve


End file.
